Sports India

Twenty to go… This is how the Indian team would be looking at their one-day cricket from now on. Twenty matches to go before the World Cup.

And when that time comes to play that first World Cup game, India should feel that they have looked at all the options available up till now and this is what we think is the best. The best 15 players that give us the best shot at the Cup.

I would like to think that the selectors are still looking and their net is still spread wide out there, to catch players, showing either sparks of talent or strong performances.

At the end of the 20 matches, the Indian team should culminate into a unit that has been formed after a genuinely exhausting exercise, that has lasted for more than a year, after tapping various alternatives.

The team that goes to West Indies for the World Cup then should be a team that has each player worth his salt. Then it does not matter his age, his past or his experience. It should be a player that excites the team management with his promise at the time.

Based on these thoughts, I believe there should not be too much scrutiny of the team selected for the triseries in Sri Lanka. Whatever could be the stories floating around Dinesh Mongia’s selection, I look at it as maturity on the part of the selectors.

They have showed that although youth is an important consideration in their planning they are not going to be obsessed with it. This selection is on pure performance.

Interestingly though on English county performances. Suddenly County Cricket performances have become more and more relevant for Indian cricket selections.

We even have Sourav Ganguly and Zaheer Khan staking their claims for Indian selection from England.

So here we have Mongia’s performances in England been rewarded, while Zaheer Khan’s have not. But it seems not for long, as Zaheer keeps sending these strong messages to the selectors, through the only way you should, by outstanding performances.

Anil Kumble’s perseverance has got him back in the ODI reckoning. Though he is not picked in the team for Sri Lanka, you can quite clearly gauge that he is a strong candidate for the Indian team for the World Cup.

By not selecting him in the team but keeping him well informed about their long term plans with him, the selectors have shown the virtue of communication.

Finally, it is going to be a tough outing for India as they take on South Africa and Sri Lanka in testing weather conditions. Even after that 4-1 loss in the West Indies, there is no denying the fact that India is still a very good one day team. And unlike West Indies, they would be hoping that this time, they return with some answers and not, more questions.